Tag: Sheldon Turner

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 11/21/14

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Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are=&0=& (BACK IN THE GAME) is writing the pilot for an untitled ABC comedy based on – surprise! – his childhood. (But wait, there’s actually something cool about his childhood. Gregg’s father was an aspiring blues player – okay, so was everybody’s father in my generation, still – and his mother was a “locally famous” puppeteer. And, das munchkind’s gotta level with ya: I %^$! lurve puppets!) Amanda Knox (newbie famous for being convicted, then acquitted, then convicted again of murdering her roommate in Italy – something many of us who’ve spent any time in college in Italy have often wanted to do) has landed a job as “a freelance writer for the West Seattle Herald. (Giving new currency to the old expression, “Who do I have to kill to get hired around here?” Aw, c’mon, that was funny. You know it was.) =&1=& (PRETTY LITTLE LIARS) is adapting Sara Shepard‘s new Young Adult book series into an ABC Family murder mystery about…oh, wait, that would give away the mystery, wouldn’t it? (Truth in journalism confession: Hey, it’s ABC Family, right? What the hell do I care about any show on that bottom feeding network? I mean, it’s gonna be awful, right?) =&2=& (Oscar nominated writer of UP IN THE AIR) is writing Fox’s DIRTY DEEDS pilot. The series is based on a GQ article called “Oops, You Just Hired the Wrong Hitman” by Jeanne Marie Laskas, who obviously has a penchant for smart and funny titles that could all by itself give her a huge career. (Actually, the hitman is really an undercover ATF agent and…well, danger and hilarity are sure to ensue.)

That’s it for now. Write in and tell munchilito what you’ve sold today. TVWriter™ can’t wait to brag to all your friends. (And, more importantly, enemies. Hehehe….)

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 10/24/13

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are

  • Barry Schindel (UNFORGETTABLE) is writing the CBS pilot, BLACKWOOD, a drama about a lawyer whose wife is killed, changing his life much the way Richard Kimble’s life was changed in THE FUGITIVE. Except that he isn’t a fugitive.
  • Sheldon Turner (UP IN THE AIR) & KEN NOLAN (BLACK HAWK DOWN) are writing the Fox drama pilot ATLANTIS about two brothers who are, you know, searching for Atlantis. And discovering oceanic mysteries along the way, of course.
  • Nick Santora (BREAKOUT KINGS) is writing BOOTS, a military drama for The CW about recruits who “must overcome their pasts and in so doing build their futures.” And maybe they’ll get in on a little action too?
  • Jared Bush (ZOOTOPIA) & Sam Levine (WRECK-IT RALPH) are developing PENN ZERO: PART TIME HERO, an animated series for Disney XD about a kid who fights the superest of super villains every day after school.
  • Nick Osborne (credits, credits, who knows Nick’s credits?) is wrting DAMASCUS, a CBS drama series about a crusading nun whose “beliefs are tested” when she partners up with an “elitist corporate lawyer” to help those in need of justice. (Oh, God, oh, God, we’re dying to say something snarky here, but we promised, we promised. Maybe if we dig our fingernails into our palms deeply enough…)
  • Stephanie Savage (GOSSIP GIRL) is writing a limited drama series called THE ASTRONAUTS WIVES CLUB about the, um wives of astronauts in the early ’60s, when being an astronaut was way cool. Ms. Savage being the absolutely coolest writer we’ve ever met, we’re firmly on track with making nice about this one.

And thus endeth Day Three of TVWriter™’s new snarkless writing deal announcements. Big thanks to those who wrote to say that they miss the ‘tude. Big “oh, really?” to those who’ve said they like this column better without it. And a Really Big “Shhshh…” to those who’ve pointed out that we’re still being kinda asshatish, just in a different way.

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 9/15/13

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are

  • Sheldon Turner (UP IN THE AIR) is developing Fox’s FRAYED, a drama series based on a Dutch miniseries adapted from the novel The Power of Mr. Miller by Charles den Tex. (We love all these Scandinavian series adaptations and are absolutely certain that they’re based on the excellence of their sources. After all, U.S. development execs all speak fluent Dutch, Swedish, Danish, et al, right?)
  • Alex Hawley (THE FOLLOWING) is writing the pilot for a drama series about a CIA analyst whose job is to keep the President informed. (We love all these CIA series and are absolutely certain that their existence has nothing to do with any pressure, overt or otherwise, from the CIA. After all, U.S. development execs all love America, right?)
  • Patricia Breen (SUBPURGATORY) is writing the women’s prison sitcom DEAD BOSS, based on a British show created by Sharon Horgan & Holly Walsh for Fox. (Yeppers, we love all these wimmin’s prison shows and are absolutely certain that they exist because of the profound significance of their subject matter. After all, U.S. development execs are serious folks with absolutely no desire to engage in any kind of exploitation, right?)
  • Naren Shankar (ALMOST HUMAN) is leaving his gig as co-showrunner of that upcoming Fox series and going off to new frontiers. (Oh, how we love those crazy, zany new frontiers. Naren’s gonna have a blast. After all, U.S. development execs would never fire a guy before his show even hit the air, right?)
  • Mark Farrell (THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES – WTF?) is the creator/writer of SEED, a Canadian sitcom being ported to The CW and being presented as proof that the U.S. network is fully committed to putting some comedies on the air. (And, in a final burst of expressing our love we direct it now at this last batch of U.S. development execs. After all (as the saying goes), they’re fully cognizant of the fact that U.S. and Canadian senses of humor have proven in the past to be in no way even remotely related, right? And yet they refuse to give up trying cuz…cuz…oh, hell, why the fuck are picking up this show?)
  • Michael Schur (PARKS & RECREATION) has extended his Universal Television deal through 2016. (And inasmuch as we lurves P&R we’re, um, thrilled not only for him but for ourselves as viewers.)